Common Uses of Tagalog Sa Markers

1. Showing possession or belonging (“‘s”).

Kay Ralph ang bag.

The bag is Ralph’s.

Sa bata’ ang bag.

The bag belongs to the child.

Lit. The bag is the child’s.

2. Indicating location or direction (“in, on, at, into, onto, to, towards, from, through etc.”).

*Kumain sa school* ang babae.**	The woman ate at school.
*Pumunta sa school* ang babae.**	The woman went to school.

Note: In some cases, ng may also be used to indicate direction (p. 41).

3. Marking the non-POD “direction” of an action. The direction of an action is the person or thing, for which or in whose direction the action is performed. A non-POD direction is a direction that is part of the News (p. 30) instead of the POD (p. 30). The non-POD direction may be definite or indefinite.

*Sumulat kay Mary* ang babae.**	The woman wrote (to) Mary.
*Nagtanong sa doktor* ang babae.**	The woman asked a/the doctor.

Difference between direction and object:

direction of an action	object of an action
write (to) Mary, write (to) me	write a letter, write a list
ask the doctor, ask her	ask a question, ask his name

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